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Peter Paul Rubens

A Landsknecht

n.d.
Brush and black ink, with brown wash, over black chalk, on cream laid paper
30.7 × 19.5 cm (12.1 × 7.7 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This mercenary has been depicted in the midst of battle, actively posed and ready to dispatch an enemy with his two-handed sword. The broad brushstrokes and bold shading add to the figure’s rough demeanor. The lower fragments completing the helmet and the piece of armor on the ground were reattached after being found pasted onto tears on the verso.

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